Driving through the Desert
My not-quite-a-week in California was hectic and filled with a genuine desire to see all of the people I have missed over the last few years. But as I hit the road on Monday, all my troubles disappeared. No longer could I worry about how to maximize my time in L.A. or plan the upcoming [...]
Rush Slowly (Across the Country)
With the open road ahead, I will be setting out on a cross-country road trip this week. And, of course, I’ll be doing it solo, with only the changing American topography alongside me. I have always wanted to do a cross-country road trip. Especially after returning from Peace Corps service, I had a powerful urge [...]
5 Books for Road Trips
On the Road by Jack Kerouac Probably the most famous road trip book ever written, Kerouac’s fictionalization of his cross-country wanderings is known as the book of the Beat Generation, immortalizing the counterculture of drugs, jazz and emerging masculinity exemplified by writers like William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and Kerouac himself. Retrace any of the [...]
Wishlists
I’m sure that 90% of people reading this are the same as me and that somewhere hidden safely away (so as not to be a constant reminder, but equally a heavenly escape) have a ‘wish list’. Now this could be a list of anything-you may even have multiple wish lists of varying topics (in case [...]
 have a ‘wish list’. Now this could be a list of anything-you may even have multiple wish lists of varying topics (in case [...] "Pin It")
Product Review: My Vacation HD
I have never been a first generation adapter of anything. My iPod is five years old, I don’t have a smart phone, and I only joined Facebook in July. The iPad was the exception to this rule. Light and easily transportable, it was the perfect piece of technology for someone moving to a foreign country and not wanting a lot of baggage.
Merry Christmas and a Car Window
It’s Christmas Eve and my first one with a guest in tow. Marvin is excited to be spending the holiday with my family, yet uncertain about what to expect. But I know all-too-well what comes with a Clapis Family Christmas. Fried dough with brown sugar and cinnamon is already wafting through the rooms of my [...]
We Are Travelers
I gotta hand it to him: my boyfriend hates mornings, and he sleeps in every second he can (well into the afternoon, sometimes), but if he has to get up and out of the house at a certain hour, he does it with military precision. So it’s not a minute past 6am that we pile [...]
, but if he has to get up and out of the house at a certain hour, he does it with military precision. So it’s not a minute past 6am that we pile [...] "Pin It")
Road Trips: Making Maps of Memory.
There’s a lot to hate about road trips: hours and hours seated in the same position, the possibility of flat tires and overheated engines, the threat of being squished by a careless trucker, the constant quaffing of caffeinated beverages and the subsequent frequent need to pull over and pee. And from the perspective of plane [...]
Zion National Park
Zion National Park was only a few hours drive from our last camp at Cathedral Gorge State Park. We were concerned we wouldn’t find a camp site, even though it was Sunday. It’s summer, and all the reservation campgrounds were spoken for. It was early afternoon already, but luckily we drove right in to South [...]
Cathedral Gorge State Park, NV
July 31st In our travels of the west, we are seeing amazing works of art made possible by Mother Nature. From rock formations that are millions of years old to spectacular sunsets, it’s hard to not be filled with a spiritual feeling when witnessing these masterpieces. This feeling was most powerful for me at Cathedral [...]
